When is Ammo Too Old

[masterdrago]

It was recently advised that the ammo in the pix attached was in very poor condition and looks old. The reason I'm asking is I'm trying to zero in on an issue (case not exiting fast enough) possibly unrelated to the question. So when is 4 year old ammo too old? When it gets a few microns of oxide on it because it has been stored in loaded Gen 2 or 3 PMAGS? Should ammo that has this discoloration not be fired in modern sporting rifles? Should it only be stored in the original cardboard, plastic or metal shipping contains as opposed to in a magazine? I have noticed that ammo kept in PMAGS get this discoloration faster than the ammo kept elsewhere.

[grizzman]

Ammo inserted into a magazine in a dry environment, like your home, should still look basically new 30 years later.....maybe a small amount of oxidation. In addition to looking new, 30 year old ammo will still perform as new.

Did you store this ammo in the bathroom next to the shower?

[masterdrago]

Ammo inserted into a magazine in a dry environment, like your home, should still look basically new 30 years later.....maybe a small amount of oxidation. In addition to looking new, 30 year old ammo will still perform as new.

Did you store this ammo in the bathroom next to the shower?

Not a chance in the bathroom! Maybe a loaded firearm but never loose ammo. The loaded mags were either in a metal file cabinet in an office or in a range bag made of either nylon or cloth lined leather. In the pix below, see 3 different storage methods. The one stored in the mag looks the most oxidized.

Top is a 3 year old American Eagle Lake City 62gr XM855 stored in a PMAG for ~1year
Middle is 4 year old IMI 55gr M193 BTFMJ stored in cardboard boxes of 30 rounds in a bulk plastic ammo can
Bottom is 4 year old American Eagle 55gr XM193 FMJBT stored loose in a metal ammo can



Opening boxes of misc .223 and 5.56 ammo in my locker, it appears that the preferred way to store is in cardboard small boxes or even when the divider is Styrofoam or plastic, not is plastic magazines.

So what I was told or advised about the ammo looking "old" or in very poor condition should not have a effect on it loading from the mag into the chamber?

[Bimmer]

... it appears that the preferred way to store is in cardboard small boxes or even when the divider is Styrofoam or plastic, not is plastic magazines.

Depends on the cardboard. Over on TFL there was an issue with acidic cardboard corroding cases so badly that they were junk... The cases turned pink (ammonia vs. copper?) and were visibly/tangibly weakened:

https://m14forum.com/ammunition/1089...n94-cases.html


That said, when I buy "battle packs," I tend to just store them that way.

Otherwise, ammo is not perishable. Left in a cool dry place, it's basically good forever. The kind of tarnish on brass cases that you're seeing is a non-issue.

[Bimmer]

Top is a 3 year old American Eagle Lake City 62gr XM855 stored in a PMAG for ~1year
Middle is 4 year old IMI 55gr M193 BTFMJ stored in cardboard boxes of 30 rounds in a bulk plastic ammo can
Bottom is 4 year old American Eagle 55gr XM193 FMJBT stored loose in a metal ammo can...

Jeez, 3-4 years old is "brand new" to me.

I have some .30 Carbine and .380ACP that I loaded back in the 1990s (I don't shoot those much), and some milsurp 7.62NATO from the 1980s (those were the days).

Even my "serious purposes" ammo is at least 3-5 years old now, and it's just going to get older and older since California banned online ammo sales.

[Uni-Vibe]

I found a box of my reloads recently that was 32 years old. Fifty rounds of .45 ACP loaded with Bullseye powder and 230 grain cast bullets. I took it to the range, and got fifty good bangs.

[hotrodder636]

Stored in a nice climate controlled house inside of ammo cans, it should be good for as long as you need.

[markm]

Jeez, 3-4 years old is "brand new" to me.

Very much so. I haven't bought a case of ammo in probably 8-10 years.

[snackgunner]

ive been wondering about this
for example the IMI m193 1,200 round cases (boxes) I purchased a couple and have kept them in their original brown box instead of putting them in ammo cans

wondering if its a better idea to put them in ammo cans if I only plan on saving the ammo and not shooting it anytime in the near future

[maximus83]

Ammo inserted into a magazine in a dry environment, like your home, should still look basically new 30 years later.....maybe a small amount of oxidation. In addition to looking new, 30 year old ammo will still perform as new.

Did you store this ammo in the bathroom next to the shower?

Most of mine is in the house so, dry environment. Some of it and all the older stuff is in ammo cans with gaskets in the garage, which is attached to the house but not heated. There's definitely extra dampness in the garage, since we're in the PNW. I've stored dessicant packs in each can, but don't renew them often enough. Haven't seen any drop in reliability or significant corrosion, but I have to think this is going to impact on shelf life.